PLANETARY AND ASTRAL INFLUENCES 349
Among
the Mohammedans, six of the seven heavens were supposed to be made of
precious substances: the first was of emerald ; the second, of white
silver ; the third, of large white pearls; the fourth, of ruby; the
fifth, of red gold ; and the sixth, of jacinth. The seventh and highest
heaven, however, was of shining light.15 Here we have the three precious colored stones, emerald, ruby, and sapphire (jacinth), to which is added the pearl.
The
scarcity of the diamond in early times, and its comparative lack of
brilliancy before the invention of rose and brilliant cutting, account
for the absence of this king of gems.
Babelais,16
describing the temple of the oracle of the "Dive Bouteille," says that
of its seven columns the first was of sapphire; the second, of jacinth;
the third, of "dyamant"; the fourth, of the "male" balas-ruby; the
fifth, of emerald, "more brilliant and glistening than were those which
were set in place of eyes in the marble lion stretched before the tomb
of King Hermias"; the sixth column was of agate, and the seventh of
transparent selenite," with a splendor like that of Hymettian honey,
and within appeared the moon in form and motion * such as she is in the
heavens, full and new, waxing and waning." "We are then told that these
stones were attributed to the seven planets by the Chaldssans, as
follows :
